Readers sound off on military service, Amazon and Melania Trump

The uniform binds all vets together

Asbury, N.J.: While I thank Barbara Chin for her father’s service to our country, and the sacrifices he made during and after the war, I began to ponder the question of why it is necessary to break everything down into specific groups (“Honor Chinese-American WWII vets,” Op-Ed, Nov. 12). As a Navy veteran, I never looked at someone I served with based on what group they belonged to, or what their heritage was, or religious beliefs. The only group that counted, for me, was the United States Navy, and that we were all serving our country.

Regardless of ethnicity, skin color, or anything else, I only considered those who served with me as brothers and sisters and nothing else. We all had in common our uniform and belief in our country, its ideals, and values. We all had in common the commitment to go in harm’s way if necessary to defend those beliefs.

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Identity politics has fractured our county — this seeming mania to slot ourselves into a specific group and not look beyond that and consider the greater whole of what we are as a country and what we can still become. I would hope that this thinking does not permeate our veterans’ groups, nor those serving today on active duty. Our group should only be that we are veterans who proudly served, worked for the common good and stood ready to defend to defend our country if called upon to do so. To all my fellow veterans, regardless of branch of service, thank you for serving and defending our country. Take pride in belonging to that particular and exclusive group. Robert Germinsky, USN (ret.)

Time out

Brooklyn: To Voicer Nelson Marans: The conflict between Israel and Palestine since 2000 has resulted in at least 9,560 Palestinians and 1,248 Israelis killed. Is that enough dead Palestinians for you? Is it not better to end the fighting? You tit-for-tat people are wrong. More bombs do not end war. The world should cut off both groups from global involvement until they make peace. Enough is enough. Greg Ahl

Lazy takeover

Cincinnati: Am I the only human that hears Amazon’s expansion and equates that with storefronts closing? The tradeoff is not equal. Amazon is thankful for fat, lazy people who can’t get off of their couch without great effort. Mark Jessee

Amazon caravan

Beechhurst: Jeff Bezos just scored perhaps the biggest corporate welfare coup in U.S. history (“Welcome to Amazon City,” Nov. 14). Gov. Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio have put out the welcome mat for a locust-like invasion of skate-boarding and bike-riding uber-liberal hipsters who will ramp up the Big Apple’s gentrification war on housing for poor and working-class New Yorkers. Though I’m no fan of Gotham’s newbie democratic socialist congresswoman-elect, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, I’m with her on this issue. James Hyland

Displaced homeless

Ozone Park: I suddenly hear a lot of knocking on doors of the LIC homeless shelters that have recently been converted from old motels/hotels. Bad news, folks, grab your satchels and hold onto your kids. You now are homeless once again. Where they are going to put the displaced families is probably not a mystery. Someone knows but they are not going to share real estate with the arrival of $150,000-per-year Amazon workers. that’s a gimme. Ray Hackinson

Better pet care needed

Staten Island: I am happy to read that the Bronx will finally get its Animal Care and Control Facility (“Council OKs $60M pet shelter,” Nov. 15). What is not right about this article is the description of Staten Island’s facility as being “full service.” This facility is in horrible condition. There are construction trailers and equipment surrounding this building for years. The reception area is depressing. The poor creatures being housed here do not see adopters, as the building actually looks closed. Please, elected officials, don’t wait to fix this situation. Barbara Menna

Curing the opiate crisis

Medford, N.J.: Now that Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been fired by President Trump. I really hope that our President appoints someone who will look at both sides of the opiate crisis. Millions of people who suffer with debilitating pain have lost access to their medications due to the new guidelines set forth by the CDC and DEA. Patients who use their prescribed medications responsibly are not the cause of the opiate emergency. The CDC and DEA are trying to “fix” the crisis by creating a whole new set of problems for the chronically ill community. It’s sad to say but there are very very few legislators who will support the chronically ill community who are being forced to suffer in silence. Betty Miserendino

Spiritual shallowness

Cliffside Park, N.J.: Regarding the opening statement “Repent — you downward facing demons!” in the article “God hates yoga” (Nov. 13): The mocking tone of the first sentence is carried on throughout the message of any “God” that might exist having the nerve to presume His superiority would, could or should rule over a people and their made-up philosophies. Such vanity is bizarre indeed. Barry Scharch

Unholy coverup

Port Jefferson, L.I.: Pope Francis told 350 U.S. Catholic bishops in Baltimore not to enact a code of conduct for bishops. This is more procrastination until their next meeting in February with the pontiff. We wonder why more than a dozen U.S. dioceses are in bankruptcy and $4 billion has been shelled out to victims of pedophile priests. It’s time for the American Catholic hierarchy to have some moral courage. Cardinal Dolan and Gov. Cuomo, why won’t you back the Child Victims Act? Thomas Patrick Folan

Phony fingerpointing

St. Petersburg, Fla.: So, all these voices complaining about President Trump honoring the veterans on Veterans Day despite his never having served in the military: Did they complain when Bill Clinton (another draft dodger) or Barack Obama, another guy who never served, spoke at a ceremony for veterans on Veterans Day? What a bunch of phonies, and I wonder how many of these people are veterans? This is coming from a former Marine who doesn’t point fingers at others who never served! Bill Barrett

Melania the mean

Staten Island: Breaking news regarding the First Lady publicly calling for the firing of National Security Council aide Mira Ricardel: “BeBest Melania,” who is known for her image of cultivating aloofness and being a private person while supposedly crusading against bullying, turns out to be just as rude, small, petty, snarky and nasty as her husband. Yowza! Raise your hands — is anyone other than me surprised? Marsha Korot